painting vandalised at Suchindram Temple

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 16 Apr 2009, 07:10

Very sad reading. Shows the scant respect the vandalisers have for our great heritage. To begin with better security is required at heritage sites. Respect for one's culture needs to be inculcated from school level. As for immediate action ASI needs to move in immediately to see how best these wonderful paintings could be restored and protected.

vganesh · Post by **vganesh** » 16 Apr 2009, 09:47

I know few places in my native which is of great historic importance is completely neglected. In fact they are used as godowns and are being used by givernment!. The only remedy is upbrining of children and creating concious among them.

karthikbala · Post by **karthikbala** » 16 Apr 2009, 11:35

I have noticed that non-Hindu places of worship are generally far better preserved. Whether it is the gompas in Ladakh, mosques in Srinagar (apart from a few bullet holes in one road-facing mosque) or cathedrals in Goa, Santhome (renovated painstakingly recently). It is not as though these places are well-guarded (some of them manage with one caretaker who is sometimes not to be found). The attitude of the visitors may be a key differentiator.

We had combined one of our Aradhana-trips with a visit to the Periya-koil (Brihadisvara) in Tanjavur. The frescos were all vandalised. Many a temple is "renovated" with garish bathroom tiles (!!!) When monasteries in Ladakh (often perched on less accessible areas like clifftops with steep approaches etc.) are maintained using traditional materials and methods, surely our temples deserve better?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Apr 2009, 05:01

kartikbala,
I was shocked too when I went to an old temple which had an old fresco which is worshipped as in a sanctum. The abhishEkam brought out the details of the sculpting, and revealed the intricate beauty of it. As you say, it was surrounded by modern shiny tiles which took away the beauty of the whole setting and the spiritual ambience too. While in fashion you can get away with what you want to mix and match, such sacred places should also be considered sacred in their artistic wealth. Sorry to repeat this: Caring about preserving old sites is almost non-existent in India. Even at places where a lot of care has gone into renovation, upkeep and SraddhA (care) is missing.

Yes, Cienu,
Like music and the arts, sanitaion, civic sense and appreciation of antiquity should somehow find a place in the hectic syllabi of today's educational system. And yes, parents need to play a role in teaching their children too...

catchhoney · Post by **catchhoney** » 28 Apr 2009, 04:00

totally agree... i personally hate it when they paint all the goburams in all those gaudy colors... wud have looked loads better if they were preserved using traditional materials!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 Apr 2009, 04:50

Painted gOpurams gave me a shock when I came upon them after being away from India for years.